Braille
by Riley Cruel
Summary: Adopted story from Katy Cruel. Two part smut-fic  but romantic . More fluff than hard smut. Iggy/OC, background Fax. COMPLETE.
1. Part 1

**I have no clue why I'm doing this, but I am. There was just a serious lack of Iggy smut on here. At least, Iggy smut that didn't involve Max, Nudge, Fang, or – god forbid – Gazzy. So my character is a random OC! Yes. And the problem with that is? Just so you know, the OC is a character from an RP of mine, on Hex, and it's basically self-insert, since I'm too damned lazy to actually write the whole story about a different character. Sorry. Also, this is my first smut (…really! I'm not lying! Stop giving me that look!), so be kind, but constructive criticism is always good. **

**Disclaimer: I only own my character/me. All else belongs to James Patterson, or any other rightful owner, perhaps not mentioned in this story.**

Part One

I watched the scene before me with a curious, morbid fascination. It was strange, but so, so awesome at the same time. Before me, Gazzy was sprawled on the floor on his stomach. Iggy sat upright with his long legs crossed – there's no other way he'd _fit_ in my pathetically small room – and both boys had their attention fixed utterly and completely on a mass of metal and liquids and wires. It was a bomb – that much I knew. How either of them did it was totally beyond me, but somehow, they'd managed to get this far without blowing themselves – or my house – to bits.

Lemme explain a little bit, since I can practically see you all scratching your heads. I'm Alex. I'm fifteen, and I'm currently housing, clothing, and – god help me – feeding the Flock. Itex is gone. Threat's over. Has been for a few months now. Fang's back, too. Apparently, Max didn't follow the directions he gave her in the note, and went looking for him after half a year. His resolve didn't last long after that.

Anyway, the Flock ended up with me, in my huge, almost empty house in Middle-of-Fucking-Nowhere, Wisconsin. You see, my aunt – my dad's, brother's wife – is Doctor Martinez's sister. But since their house burned down a few years ago, they've barely had space for their own family, let alone seven bird kids and two _more_ dogs. So, they got passed down the family grapevine to us. But hey, I'm not complaining.

Then, Iggy paused. He turned toward me, his face…somewhat grim. "Dylan's looking for you," he said, somewhat shortly.

Oh…that's another thing. Don't ask me how it happened, but I'm kind of going out with Dylan. It's not something I'm insanely proud of, but, hey, it happened. And of course Iggy would have heard that first.

If I'm being totally honest, I don't really like Dylan. At least, not like that. He's a great guy and all, but he's not for me. Now, something I'd never admit out loud. At least, not where I thought anyone would hear me. I actually, honestly, think…I might be in love with Iggy.

So…yeah, I'm fucked.

"Thanks, Iggy," I said, standing. "I'll go find him."

I exited the room, closing the door behind me. I let out a soft sigh and started down the stairs. Half way down, on the landing, I met Dylan. His perfect features were marred slightly by a frown, creasing his brow, pulling his eyebrows together and making him look more confused than anything.

"Hey, Alex," He said, his frown easing a little.

"Hey Dylan," I replied, smoothly avoiding him as he tried to give me a kiss. What had been meant for my lips landed instead on my cheek. Usually, he didn't notice, and didn't push it. But this time, he frowned again, his forehead crinkling.

"What's wrong?" He asked, putting a hand up and holding my chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Nothing," I said quickly, trying to pull free of his grip. I couldn't. His frown deepened again, and now, he didn't just look confused. He looked frustrated, and a little angry.

"You're lying," He said simply. "A-and…I have something to tell you."

I frowned now. "What's up?"

"I think we should break up."

It took me a few minutes to process the words. I blinked in surprise. "Wh-what?" I stumbled back from him, wrenching my chin free. My ankles hit the bottom step and I tripped backward. My butt hit the stairs with a hard thump, and I heard the door at the top of the stairs open.

"Alex? Are you all right?"

It was Iggy. He'd heard me fall, and probably heard Dylan's words as well. I looked up and saw him and Gazzy standing in the doorway. Iggy was looking a little confused, and Gazzy looked almost alarmed. I smiled at them – mostly Gazzy – and nodded. "I'm fine," I lied easily. Sure, I may not have liked Dylan all that much, but rejection still hurts.

Iggy frowned. "Hey Gasman," He said, his tone almost identical to the one that Max used when dealing with the younger kids. "Would you go downstairs for a minute? I need to talk to Alex alone."

Gazzy nodded, and bounded down the stairs past me, and Dylan followed him, without looking at me. I stood and climbed the stairs toward Iggy. "I'm going to ask you that question one more time…" He said, once the sounds of Gazzy and Dylan on the stairs had stopped. "Are you all right?"

I was about to answer 'fine' again, when I looked up and met Iggy's eyes. I couldn't lie to him again. "No. I'm not." And when he put his arms out for me, I didn't hesitate to step into the embrace. I buried my face into his shirt, but I didn't cry. I just stood there and hugged him tightly. "I mean, it's not like I really even liked him that much anymore, but…it still hurts."

"I know," Iggy murmured into my hair. He pressed his lips to my forehead and I froze for a minute. He ran a hand through my hair lightly, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. I pulled back a bit and looked up at Iggy.

"Thanks, Ig," I said softly, reaching up and cupping his cheek. And then, before I really understood what was happening, Iggy was leaning down, and I was reaching up, going up onto my tiptoes, and then our lips connected. My arms wound around his neck and I pulled him in closer, as his left hand tangled into my short hair, and his right hand pressed against my lower back.

"Guys?" I pulled back sharply as I heard Gazzy coming up the stairs. Iggy's hands went back to his sides, and I suppressed a sigh of disappointment.

Before Gazzy could get within earshot, and before I talked myself out of it, I went up on tiptoe and whispered in Iggy's ear. "_Meet me in the hay loft in three hours._"

My foot shook on the blanket that covered a section of the unvarnished wooden floor. It was eerily quiet, but I knew I shouldn't be worried yet. Okay. That was a lie. I had several things to worry about – chief among them was what would actually happen when Iggy got here. But it was too late. It had been too late the moment I whispered those words to Iggy under my breath, as Gazzy ascended the stairs.

And now, it was really too late, because in the silent night, I could hear Iggy's footsteps on the gravel below me, and then the sound of his shoes on the ladder. Now more nervous than ever, I buried my face in my hoodie for a moment, before stepping around the bales that I'd set up three months or so ago, when the Flock had first gotten here. At first, it had only been so I'd have a private place, away from all the super-hearing of the Flock. When I started dating Dylan, this was where we would meet to…well, you know.

The bales were stacked and shifted so that it blocked off one corner of the loft into a sort of room. There were sheets on the floor, and blankets hung on the bales to keep the actual spreading of hay to a minimum. In one corner, a small, beat-up mattress , covered with blankets and pillows. The lights were mostly flashlights hung from the exposed rafters. The entrance to the cave was sort of hidden, so I went out to show Iggy where it was.

"Hey Iggy," I said, unable to stop the wide smile that spread across my face. "Come this way. I have a sort of cave set up." I reached out and took his hand, leading him through the 'doorway' into the make-shift room.

The curtain over the entrance dropped, and the soft _whoosh_ seemed to echo in the silence. We stood stock still for a moment, before Iggy took a step toward me. His arms snaked around my waist, and bowed his already ducked head (because the ceiling was so low) and, once again, I went up onto my tiptoes, meeting him half way, and pressing myself as close to him as I could, while our lips moved against each other in almost perfect synch.

I could feel Iggy's smile against my mouth before he pulled away and looked down at me, giving me a mischievous, boyish grin. "So is this why you wanted to meet me here?" He asked, running a hand thorough my hair.

"Now, if that was all I wanted you to come here for, what kind of person would I be?" I asked, trying to contain my laughter. Iggy appeared to be in deep though and lifted one hand to tap his chin with a long, pale finger.

"Well…" He said, in a mockingly serious voice. :"I suppose the word 'seductress' comes to mind. Then there's also words like 'tart', and 'minx'." I slapped his arm playfully.

"And what kind of person does that make you for coming?"

He shrugged. "Just a guy in love," He said, and I froze. Iggy stilled as well, processing what he'd just said. "S-sorry…" He said before I could stop him. He moved to pull away, but I kept my hands locked firmly behind his neck.

"Iggy, don't apologise," I said quickly, pulling him back to me. "You just took me by surprise. And…I love you too."

Iggy's expression changed from upset, to shocked, to confused, to delighted so fast it was almost comical. "Seriously?" He asked, sounding unsure, although his face still registered delight.

"Totally," I said, grinning as I pressed my lips back to his. I began to move slowly, pulling him toward the mattress in the corner. I kind of felt like a whore, but at the same time, this felt so, _so_ right. I knew this wouldn't be like it was with Dylan – where we just get it over with a s fast as we can , leave the lights off, and he leaves immediately after. _That_ had made me feel like a whore.

The backs of my legs hit the mattress before I'd been prepared to, and I tipped backwards, pulling Iggy with me. We landed on the mattress, and I let my breath out in a whoosh as Iggy landed on me.

But I'd barely caught my breath again when he pressed his lips to mine once more. I wrapped my legs around his hips and moaned a little. Then, his lips left my mouth and travelled down my neck, sucking and biting, and probably bruising, but we'd come to deal with that when it came to it. He held himself so he hovered over me as I writhed in pleasure below him.

"Uhhhh…." I hissed, letting it out in more of a breath than a real noise. I pushed my fingers through his silky hair as he worshiped my body. His hands ran up and down my sides, then slid under my shirt. His lips left my skin for one brief moment, and then my shirt was off, and his lips came to mine again. I could feel Iggy's hands under me as he tried to get my bra undone. God, what is it with guys and not getting bras? Really!

I pushed myself up a little, pulled my hands free of his hair, and reached behind me, undoing the bra myself. Iggy slid the straps off my shoulders painfully slowly and threw it the same way my shirt had gone without ever breaking the kiss. I ran my hands up his front and began to undo the buttons on the front of his shirt, and before long, was slipping it off, to reveal his pale, muscled chest. My cold fingers ran up and down his alabaster skin and he shivered and groaned. I could also feel something brushing against my leg. I had a strong feeling that it _wasn't_ his leg. My hand slid down between us and brushed against the bulge in his jeans and he moaned again.

"You're such a tease," He murmured, almost jokingly. I laughed breathlessly.

"I know I am," I murmured, pressing my lips to his collarbone. "And yet you're still hanging around." My hand brushed him again, and he shivered slightly.

"For good reason," He said, chuckling softly. I could feel his hands at the waistband of my shorts, his sensitive fingers caressing the material. "Purple?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. "I never pegged you as a purple kind of person."

"Shut up!" I muttered. "They were soft and on sale."

Iggy pressed his lips to mine quickly – a chaste kiss that belied our current position. "I never complained," He said, shaking his head. "In fact, I like purple on you." I felt his hand run across my butt, feeling the soft lavender chenille. And then his fingers were at the waist band, circling it softly. And then the shorts and my panties were off. His warm lips pressed against my neck, then my collarbone. Then he was trailing kisses between my breasts, then down my stomach. I could feel his lips were slightly chapped – probably from the wind – and rough. But so, so warm. So gentle.

But he stopped kissing me just above the place he _ knew_ I wanted him to get to. He rubbed my thighs teasingly and moved his lips against the sensitive skin. Near…above….beside….but never on. Never where I wanted him. Finally, I'd had enough. I pulled him up and flipped us over so that I was on top, straddling him. "And you called _me_ a tease," I hissed with mock disapproval. "You're worse than me."

I ran my fingers down his stomach. I looked so tan compared to him it was a little startling. At my touch, Iggy shivered a bit and shifted under me. I kissed his neck lightly, but only once. I raised myself a little and moved downward, so I was able to get at the buttons on his jeans. I pulled them off as fast as I could, and Iggy kicked them away swiftly. He let out a sigh. I couldn't blame him. With how hard he was, his jeans had probably been hurting him. Without the extra constraint, and only his boxers between him and I, he looks much larger. And as I pull the boxers down, I feel a small flash of fear go through me, and wonder stupidly for a moment if it had shown on my face. Then, I remembered it didn't matter. My breath hitched a bit.

Dylan had been large. But his largeness had been more in girth. But Iggy was _long_. So long I wondered how he would fit inside me without rupturing something. But no matter how much I knew it would hurt, I also knew there was no turning back now. This _would_ happen, now. And, to be honest, I wanted it.

I ran a hand down the extensive length, and he moaned loudly. "You're killing me here, Alex…" he choked.

I smiled a little and leaned down to kiss him. "I know…" I murmured against his lips. I sat upright once again and moved down to straddle his hips. She was hovering over him, poised on her knees above him. His hands rested on her hips.

"You really want this?" He asked softly.

"Of course," I said firmly. Then slowly, painfully, I began to lower myself onto him. It wasn't _only_ length that Iggy had. He had girth as well, and I could feel him stretching me. But that wasn't the worst of the pain. That pain I could deal with. I was only half way down him, though, and I could already feel the pain of his length within me. I was going slow. So slow.

But then my knee slipped on the sheets and I was freefalling for a moment. Then, our hips connected, and I let out a pained cry, feeling something in the back of my throat and all the way up my spine as Iggy's tip connected with my cervix. I hurt so much. So much pain….so, so much pain….

I knew Iggy could tell I was in pain. He held stock still beneath me and reached up, brushing a bit of my overlong bangs from my face. "Are you all right?" He asked. "I thought, since this wasn't your first time, it wouldn't hurt as much…"

"I'm fine," I replied in a choked voice, not wanting to tell him _why_ I'd cried out. "Or I will be in a second….Just let me adjust…" My voice trailed off absently. The pain was starting to fade, although my spine was still tingling. Now, all I could feel was a fullness that Dylan hadn't given me. I leaned down and pressed my lips against Iggy's even as tears leaked from my eyes. "You can move now," I murmured against his lips. I moved myself upright again and pushed myself up, moving up the length, then lowing myself again. I'd thought I was somewhat used to him. I was wrong. As I moved down again, still moving slowly, I let out a low, pained moan. So maybe being on top wasn't the best idea.

This thought seemed to occur to Iggy as well, because he pulled me off of him and turned me over, hovering over me, blind blue eyes fixated on mine. He leaned down and kissed me. Then, without any other kind of warning, he entered me. My scream was muffled against his lips as he pulled me close. He stopped moving for a long moment, letting me adjust. I let the tears run down my face, knowing he could probably smell the salt. My fingers pressed into his back, and I almost jumped when one of my hands touched his wing.

I felt him shake a bit. "I-I'm ready," I whispered, burying my face in the crook of his neck. And surprisingly, I was ready. Really, really ready. Slowly, Iggy began to move back, pulling out and pushing back in. He moved slowly, but it still hurt. But I don't know when it changed…the pain started to feel good. I threw my head back and gave another loud cry. But this time, it was one of pleasure. "O-oh god…Iggy…"

"Alex…" He whispered, pressing his lips into my hair. "Alex…" It sounded almost like a prayer, the way he said my name.

Our pace was increasing. It didn't hurt any less, but I had adapted. I was enjoying the pain. Then, without warning, Iggy's wings snapped out, filling the room. I think it was probably involuntary. But as he pushed into me, harder and faster with every stroke, his wings would give quick flaps. Then…Oh god, then – and I shit you not – I actually felt my back lift off the mattress. We hovered there for at least two minutes, while Iggy pounded into me, hard and fast. One of his hands went between us and reached between my legs, rubbing the tiny bundle of nerves just above my entrance.

I let out another loud cry, which he quickly muffled with his lips. It was reduced to a low muffled moan. Then his lips left mine, kissing and sucking at my neck. I knew I'd have a hickey, but honestly, right then, I didn't care.

We kept hovering, but every now and then, we'd rise or drop several feet. And then…then, he hit a spot inside me. I don't know what he did or how he did it. All I knew was that I saw stars. I threw my head back and cried out loudly. I'd felt it before – I knew that had been my orgasm. I heard Iggy give a low grunt and felt a warmth spreading through me. I let out a long sigh and Iggy all but dropped me. He managed to lower us back to the bed before releasing his tight grip on me and collapsing beside me.

I sat up and looked over at him. His typically foggy eyes were glazed over and a sheen of sweat was covering his face and chest. A smile was clear on his face. He looked as tired as I felt. I pulled the blanket out from under us and curled up against his side. Now that we weren't moving any more, I was getting cold. The sweat was drying, and I was exhausted. I felt Iggy's arms go around me, and my eyes closed. My last thought was that unless we woke up early, we would have a hell of a lot to explain to the others.

The next morning was a surprising one. It took me a moment to remember why I was in the hay loft and why it wasn't Dylan caressing my neck with his lips. Then, as it came back to me, I smiled and turned to meet his lips with mine, pulling him into a long, deep kiss. I felt an aching soreness from last night's occurrence, but it had been completely worth it.

"You feeling okay?" I asked him between little pecks and caresses. He nodded, tracing the hickeys on my neck like a connect-the-dots. I knew that when I got back to the house, There'd be questions, but I decided not to care. We were in a perfect position for making out or just talking. He was on his side, and me on my back. I didn't want thoughts of consequences ruining the perfectness.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked me, lifting his head from my neck. I knew what he meant, and I nodded. _Mind-reader…._

"Yeah, but I dunno if I care…" I smiled, putting my hand to his face and tracing along his jaw-line. It was true, right then all I wanted was the closeness of being his bed partner. He loved me. I loved him, and right then, that was all I cared about. But then... "Did you mean it?" I say, a thought, almost too painful to put into words crossing my mind. "When you said you love me?"

My pain was erased almost immediately. As his reply came in a low, comforting voice.

"Always," Came his typical reply. "As long as you want me to." I smiled and kissed him again, the battle for dominance raging in our mouths in a sensual conflict. He eventually won, but as he did, I had to break away for breath.

"Then you'll have to be with me a long time… As long as I want you… Hmm… Eternity okay?" He laughed, running a hand through my hair, placing kisses all over my face, but avoiding my mouth, teasing me.

"Tease!" I said, hitting him on the shoulder lightly, but grinning, guiding his hand to my mouth so he could feel the smile. He replaced it with his lips, smiling back at me in _very_ close quarters. I laughed into his mouth, making him pull away and trace my face.

"Heh, of course!" Iggy replied, his hand going through my hair again, the other moving to caress my breasts, feeling the pink and darker colours of the tender flesh. "You're beautiful, Alex." He said to me, making me smile _again_. His hand moved and traced my navel, moving to my bare hips, but skipping over the part I wanted him to be at most. I reached down and took his hand.

"We don't want to be late, do we? And if you keep going there, I might lose control, love." I said, taking his hand back up to my face and then taking his other, holding them. "We should go back to the house, I'm hungry, and I know you are!" I said, tweaking his nose, running my hands over his chest, and standing. The cool air sent a shiver down my spine, so I reached for my bra right away. After putting it on, I tossed Iggy his boxers and pants, making him grin sheepishly.

I tugged on my shirt and, after some trouble, found my panties and shorts. The fuzzy shorts! Iggy smiled, hearing me curse as I tugged some straw out of my underwear. "Damn, Iggy! You threw those pretty far!" He laughed, standing, not bothering to put his clothes on yet.

"Sorry?" He said, tugging on his boxers finally and then his jeans, buttoning and zipping them carefully. "Actually, I'm not." He said, pulling on his shirt. I walked over and put his arms around my waist.

"You shouldn't be," I said, giving a quick kiss before walking out of the cave to the ladder, jumping down, and waiting for Iggy. Before a few seconds had passed, I heard wings slicing the air, and he landed next to me. "Ready?" I asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," And we took each other's hand and began the walk back to the house, but not before sharing one more long kiss. I squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. Whatever lay in wait for us in that house, we could take it.

**Reviews are always welcome and very much appreciated. Part two will be up soon! =D**


	2. Part 2

-x-

Part Two

-x-

The minute we entered the house – the front door leads right into the kitchen – every eye turned to us. I felt a hot blush creeping up my neck, and I was suddenly very, _very_ aware of every mark on my neck and shoulders. Aware of my swollen lips, and now completely conscious of how gingerly I was walking.

Aw shit.

Nothing but curiosity met me when I looked over Gazzy and Angel. I saw giddy amusement on Nudge's part. Fang and Max both had identical expressions – like they were trying to look stern, but at the same time, were holding back laughter. Dylan was fuming, and I swear I saw some smoke come out his ears.

"So," Max said slowly, her tone arched. "Where were you two last night?"

"Hay loft," I answered automatically, not having properly prepared a good lie. I saw Dylan pale a little, and I think there was a little more smoke. He knew from experience what happened in the hay loft. And he was pissed.

Well, that was perfectly fine with me. _He_ had been the one that had broken up with _me_. If he had a problem with me moving on – and being happier for it – those issues were his own. He could deal with them on his own.

Of course, he's also a super strong bird kid that's at least four or five inches taller than me. So that could kind of be my problem.

Max, however, had no idea what the significance of the hay loft was, and so she let it go. She probably thought we'd been making out or something. And technically, we had…but I don't think her imagination went as far as we had. But, she seemed to accept my answer with grace, and nodded.

I didn't comment further, but knew I'd have to answer to Nudge – she wanted gossip – Max – she wanted to be leader-ish and try to set ground rules – and Dylan. Dylan, as I said before, was just pissed.

I stepped forward, still holding tight to Iggy's hand. The only thing that kept me from a full-on breakdown was the feeling of his skin against mine, and the feeling of his thumb massaging circles on the back of my hand. I glanced over at him and, with his blind-sense (probably felt my breath change or something) he looked at me too, and smiled reassuringly. I settled in the one remaining empty chair and felt Iggy come up behind me, one large hand resting on my shoulder. I glanced up and back at him, straining my neck a bit. His expression and stance were both protective.

"I know you're starving," I said quietly, although I knew that, with their great hearing, everyone in the room could hear. "Go get something to eat." He nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching up a little, and then he stepped through the wide archway between the kitchen and dining room to get food. He knew I'd just steal his.

The general chatter had resumed. Max and Fang were, of course, in their own little world. Angel was colouring on a piece of printer paper. Gazzy was talking to Dylan – who clearly wasn't listening – about some new explosive creation of his and Iggy's. I swear, they're going to blow themselves up one of these days. I wondered for a moment about Nudge, but then, she appeared at my side, where Iggy had been a moment ago.

"So?" She asked, practically taking flight in the house with her excitement.

I raised an eyebrow. "So…what?" I asked, although I thought I knew what she was talking about.

Nudge rolled her eyes, frustrated at how slow on the uptake I was. "_So_, are you and Iggy like…together now?" Before I had time to answer, she motored on. "Because if you are, I mean, that's totally cute. But weren't you with Dylan yesterday? But, we all heard him break up with you – not because we were listening or anything, but we just have really good hearing. Anyway, we thought that you might take a little longer to get over him, and it just seems really fast. Although I've been telling Max for weeks that you and Iggy are so perfect for each other – and all of us could tell that you both really liked each othe-"

Nudge was cut off sharply as a pale hand went over her mouth. Iggy had reappeared and, unnoticed by the motor-mouth, had come up behind her, his expression somewhat amused. "Yes, Nudge," He said, his voice perfectly calm as he released her. "I'm pretty sure we're 'together', as you put it. Now can you leave us in peace for her to steal my food?" Nudge giggled a little and went back to her seat.

-x-

Max was the next to talk to me, although she did it much more discreetly than Nudge had. She, at least, waited until after breakfast.

Iggy, Gazzy and I were in my room once again, and they were working on that damned bomb. Well, really Gazzy was working on it. I was leant up against Iggy's chest, my head back on his shoulder. His arms were around my waist, and every now and then, he'd place a light kiss on the healing bruises on my neck.

It was after we'd been like this for a couple hours that there was a knock on the door. Before any of us could even say 'come in', Max had entered. She looked down at Iggy and I, her face a little flushed. It was probably a little awkward for her, to see us like this.

"Alex," She said, sounding, for the first time since they'd arrived at my house like a real leader. I could see why they'd listened to her. "I need to talk to you. Like, in the other room."

I nodded, and extricated myself from Iggy's arms before following her out into the hall. She lead me down the hall, toward the 'upstairs living room' of sorts. It was more just an empty room with a couch, a TV, and a couple video game systems. Max closed the door behind us then turned to look at me.

"So," She said slowly, and I had a strong urge to say something like _"Sew buttons on your underwear."_ Instead, I said nothing, and continued to hold eye contact with her – something not many people could do. "So," She repeated, "What's going on between you and Iggy? I mean, obviously you guys were fooling around in the hay loft, but to what extent? And am I going to need to prepare the younger ones for more fledglings?"

Fledg-? Oh. I paled a little, but shook my head firmly. "No way," I replied. "I'm on birth control."

Max seemed to flush again. "So you did go that far?" She asked, clarifying. I nodded. Why lie to her? She'd probably find out eventually anyway. "And I suppose I don't need to give you any kind of talk." I shook my head. "Good," She sighed, letting her shoulders slump a little. "Because I was so not ready for that." Max then did something that was very un-Max-like. She reached out and squeezed my shoulder. "But I just want you to know that I've got your back in this. If he hurts you, I'll break his face – Flock or not."

I laughed, although I knew she was serious. "Thanks Max," I said, grinning at her. Then, we both turned to face the door, because there had been a quiet tap. It opened slowly and – my stomach dropped – Dylan entered.

"Hey Max," He said, his tone perfectly even. Then he looked at me. "Hey Alex." His attention turned back to Max. "Could I talk to Alex for a minute?" Max looked reluctant, but nodded. She stared toward the door, giving my shoulder one last squeeze before heading out. She closed the door and if my stomach could drop lower than my toes, I think it did.

"Hey Dylan…" I muttered. He made no reply. He remained, unmoving by the door, his eyes fixed on me in a cold stare.

"So," He said, his tone too calm. "I break up with you so you just throw yourself at the first guy who'll take you? That's really classy."

I gave Dylan a long, cold glare. I swear, I thought I saw him shiver. "No, Dylan," I said shortly. "Actually, I _gave_ myself to a guy who actually cares about me." I paused, as if thinking. "The first, actually. Because we all know that you never really wanted to go out with me. You just wanted Max to give a damn. But you're out of luck, dear. Now that Fang's back, you haven't got a snowball's chance in hell." I shrugged. "If you weren't such a dick, I'd feel bad for you. But you are. So I don't."

That seemed to stun him. I started toward the door. Just as I was about to push past Dylan, I paused, and stood on tiptoe. I grinned a little before whispering in his ear, "I can see you wondering. And yes, he was way better."

-x-

Despite all my bravado, the encounter with Dylan had shaken me quite a bit, and by the time I re-entered my room and resumed my place in Iggy's lap, I was shaking. I was nervous and happy and shocked with myself for the bitchiness of the comment all at once.

Although it was true. Iggy had been so much better.

Iggy's expression was concerned as he felt me shake, but I buried my head in his shoulder and shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it. Not then, and probably not ever. It had also seemed that Iggy had gotten off the hook way easier than I had. His best friend was too young to want to know, Fang didn't really seem to give a rat's ass, and he had no angry exes to deal with.

I could feel the tension building up inside me. It felt like my insides were made up of snakes that had been disturbed – squirming and turning me inside out. Iggy's strong arms squeezed me once and we sat there for a while as my shaking began to lessen, then stop. I stood, and took his hand. He stood and I began to take him toward the door.

"Hay loft," I said simply. Gazzy looked up and mad a face, and in reply I stuck my tongue out at him. I am _so_ mature. Iggy smiled, probably guessing what had just occurred (or just doing that blind thing and reading my mind…)

We climbed up the ladder and I led him to the cave. Smiling, I pulled him down onto the bed next to me, not yet stripping. "So… What'd Fang have to say?" I asked, trying to lead up to telling him what Max had said to me.

Iggy shrugged. "Nothing really, he said he was happy for me and hit me on the back…" I laughed, typical boy behaviour. "What about Max? Did she say anything against it?"

"No, she said she was happy for me…" I replied, he waited, knowing there was more. (_again_ with the mind reading!) "Also, she'll break your face if you hurt me…" I grinned and brought his hand up to my mouth to "show" him. He grinned back and leaned over me, pulling me into one of those can't-back-out-now kisses. I followed along without hesitation.

His hands caressed my body, still clothed, as I slipped my hands under his shirt, tracing his defined abs, following the lines almost to his member, then moving back up. He groaned, no need to call me a tease, I knew what he was thinking. His hands slipped under my shirt to my bra, actually unclasping it this time and he flung it away.

"You're finding that…" I grumbled, but that was before he began to circle the most tender parts of my breasts. The thought was lost to an aching in my already sore centre. The ache of wanting. I reached down to the bulge I knew would be in his jeans. He gasped, a pleased kind of sound. I moved my hand away, but only so I could get to his button and fly. He moaned as I pulled then down and he kicked them off, pleased to have the constricting piece of clothing off.

His hands went down to my shorts, yanking them down carelessly and throwing them as well as my panties. I tore his shirt off over his head and he, in return, pulled mine off. I proceeded to yank his boxers off, hearing a small tearing sound. I raised them to investigate, seeing a gaping hole in the left side.

"Whoops.." I said, but Iggy wasn't hearing me, he was already throwing the boxers over his shoulder and crushing my mouth with his, passion forcing all gentleness to second priority. I moaned as he slid his hand down my navel, stopping just before he reached the place I really wanted him and tracing circles around my inner things. I grabbed his member, unable to wait anymore, and directed it toward my favourite spot, as of late. He moaned.

"A-Alex-"

"Iggy, I want it!" I said, He nodded. I sighed when he finally touched me the way I wanted it. The soreness wasn't gone from last night, but the longing ache was more than the soreness between my thighs. He moved in slowly and the pain was back a bit, but the pleasure was amazing. Even the pain felt good. Iggy grunted as he slid all the way into me. It hurt, but it felt incredible to have him inside me. He pulled out again, the pain back, but it was so good. I cried out his name and he whispered mine, like a loving caress.

His wings snapped open, and he lifted us off the ground, he was grunting from the effort and we levitated for about 30 seconds before we fell back to the bed, jabbing him deeper into me. He moaned, incoherent.

I screamed once, the pain zapping through me, followed by a shudder of pleasure. I could feel something building inside me, like a wave gathering on the periphery of…not my vision. On the very edge of my consciousness. It grew in force and strength the longer we kept at it. I could feel the muscles in my stomach beginning to clench, and my cries and moans became whimpers and hisses.

We were both close – I could tell that much easily. The tight feeling in my stomach as Iggy moved in and out was about to snap, and his thrusts were becoming erratic, losing the smooth rhythm we'd kept up.

Then, the dam that had kept the wave at bay – the band inside me that had been pulled so tightly – broke – or snapped – and then I was crying out, moaning Iggy's name loudly as I dragged my nails along his shoulders. I clenched my hands on his upper arms, fingernails digging in almost the point of drawing blood.

Iggy only made it another few seconds before I felt the familiar warmth inside me. He kept moving for another ten seconds or so, letting us both ride it out, before he just about collapsed on me, his wings folding in as he rolled to one side, so as not to crush me.

My eyes were wide and glazed as they stared, as unseeing as Iggy's, at the ceiling above me. Once again, since movement had ceased, cold was starting to set in. But I was too drained, in that moment, to try to extract – or for that matter _find_ the blankets. And so I just curled up against Iggy's side. One of his long arms wound around me, pulling me closer as I laid my head on his chest.

We wouldn't go to sleep this time – not if we wanted to keep our asses safe from the parental units of the Flock. But there was no harm in just laying here for a few more minutes, with nothing but sweat, skin, and shared body heat covering us…silence around us…

Together.

"I love you," I murmured, almost incoherently, pushing my face into the crook of his neck.

"I love you too," He replied, his lips pressing into my hair before his head fell back. We shouldn't go to sleep…but what harm would a few hours do us?

-x-

When I opened my eyes, I was hot. Like overheating, hot. I was still covered in sweat, but the sticky, post-sex chill was gone. Now, I was burning up in the hot, metal-roofed hay barn, curled up against Iggy's side – which was burning more than the air around me. I realised most of the sweat on my neck and back was fresh, from the stifling atmosphere in the loft.

We couldn't have been out here more than four hours or so. It had been late morning when we'd left the house – about ten thirty. It was about mid-afternoon, and the sun would be beating down mercilessly, outside. That was one of the downsides to the cave – no ventilation.

I sat up and felt Iggy's arm fall off my shoulder. It stuck for a moment, the both our skin sticky with sweat, before falling to the mattress with a soft thump. Iggy barely stirred. I rose to my feet, my legs stiff. If I thought I was sore before, that was nothing. Now, I was aching all over – and not in the good way either. The way where you just want to fall over and yell, _"Oooooooow!"_

I twisted around a bit, cracking almost every joint in my body. I was still undressed, so I started to hunt for my clothes. I'd have to talk to Iggy about how hard he threw them. _Or not…_ I thought vaguely to myself as I snagged my bra from the hay bale where it'd landed. _Besides, it's not like he'd actually listen to me about it anyway._

Once I'd redressed myself, I sat down against the wall of bales on the opposite side of the cave. I felt like a bit of a creeper, but it was soothing to see Iggy sleeping. Even with the mission done, him, and the rest of the Flock, always looked tense, as if they were about to be attacked at any second. But in sleep, Iggy looked so peaceful. He looked young and, god help me, innocent. He shifted slightly, the sun coming in through the cracks in the roof catching in his red-blonde hair and the grey and white feathers on his wings – still visible from this angle – and reflected back, shining brightly – almost blindingly. The light caught the fresh drops of sweat appearing on his cheek and I stood and moved forward, before kneeling by his side and wiping them away. His hand rose and caught my wrist, and his foggy blue eyes opened. My fingertips still rested on his cheek and we just sat there like that for a moment, then Iggy leaned upward and kissed me – a long, lingering kiss that, when he pulled away, left me not only unsatisfied, but hungrier than before.

I moved down and kissed him again, feeling the hot, chapped skin of his lips against mine. Our lips moved in synch, as if we'd been doing this for months.

When he pulled back, I could do nothing but stare at Iggy for several moments that each felt like its own eternity. My right hand was still on his cheek, while my left rested lightly on his bare chest, feeling his breathing and heartbeat under my fingertips.

He shot a grin at me quickly. "As much as I would _love_ to continue," Iggy said, brushing his lips against my neck softly before pulling away. "We should go back inside before they send someone after us."

I nodded somewhat sadly, before remembering quickly he couldn't see it. "All right," I agreed, before standing. "You should probably get dressed first, though, unless you're planning on giving Max a heart attack." I bent and threw him the ripped pair of boxers, and he caught it with unerring precision. He felt the hole and raised an eyebrow at me. I laughed. "Sorry – my bad!" I told him, not sounding sorry at all.

Iggy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right," He replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "I totally believe that. And d'you know? I think I believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause again!"

I laughed and shook my head. Iggy stood and pulled the torn boxers on. I didn't look away, but I did feel the heat of a blush beginning to creep up my cheeks. I mean, sure, we've had sex, but actually just seeing him naked was different somehow. More improper.

But this was the chance that I hadn't had any other time to truly look at him. His skin seemed almost luminescent in the dim loft, as I watched him wander the cave. His frame was tall and built to be thin, even considering his bird genes. He was no bodybuilder either, but anyone could see the clearly defined muscles on his chest and arms, and, as he bent to pick up his jeans, I could see strong muscles in his back as well.

As he straightened, it occurred to me how incredibly taller than me he was. At fifteen, I'm five foot eight. That's pretty tall for a girl my age – especially one that's all human. I'm as tall as Max. But Iggy towers over me, standing at least six-three. Possibly six-four. I don't even clear his armpit when we're standing next to each other. God, it makes me feel so short. And I'm _not_ short! Every school dance I've ever gone to, I've had to wear flats, because if I wore heels, I'd be taller than everyone but the tallest seniors.

Iggy had found his shirt, at this point, and had it draped over his shoulders. But before he could start buttoning it, I stepped forward, pressing my hands against his bare skin. "Whu-what are you doing?" Iggy asked, sounding shaky, but excited. I trailed my hands up his chest, and curled my fingers around the collar of his shirt, then down along the edge on either side. Just as Iggy leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, I began to do up his buttons. When he pulled away, my eyes went down to my hands and their work.

"I'm doing your buttons," I said in a low voice. "You always have them off by a button and it bugs me." I went up on tiptoe and kissed him again. "And if I don't do it myself, my mind's not going to get that we should wait longer before doing that again."

Iggy blinked, then burst out laughing. "Jeez, Alex! You're worse than me!"

I did the last button then slapped his arm playfully. "I am not!" I exclaimed. "The first month you were here, you grabbed my boobs and played the blind excuse and told me it was an accident!"

Iggy grinned wolfishly. "If I recall, you didn't mind last night. Or this morning," He pointed out, still grinning like a maniac.

I growled. "I hate you."

Iggy grinned again. "No, you don't."

I paused, then frowned. "…Fine. You're right," I said, somewhat grudgingly. "I don't hate you. In fact, I love you."

Iggy wrapped his impossibly long arms around my waist. "I love you too," He said softly, pressing his lips into my hair.

"We really should go back inside now…" I murmured, starting to pull away.

Iggy pulled me back in. "Actually," He said slowly, linking his hands behind my back and leading me toward the door. "I have a better idea."

I pulled back a little and looked up at him in surprise, blinking. His sightless eyes were looking straight ahead, but a grin was crinkling the corners and there was a slightly manic glint in the foggy blue as well. "Iggy, what are you think- _ah_!" One of his long arms had swung down, pulling my legs out from under me and up into his arms, so that he was holding me bridal style.

…Ugh. I'm not going to use that phrase again for a few more years.

Iggy began to advance toward the opening in the wall, holding my struggling form close to his chest while I wiggled and squirmed and beat my open palms against his chest. "Put me down, Iggy!" I cried, feeling slightly alarmed. "Put me down!"

He bent his head and kissed me. It was light, but passionate, and somehow, it comforted me. "Trust me, Alex," He whispered against my lips, and I all but melted. "I won't let you fall."

We were standing in the doorway now. I'd jumped to the ground from here before, and it wasn't far too fall, but now, somehow it seemed farther. It was as if, instead of two stories, the barn was now ten. I dug my fingers into Iggy's shirt and pressed my face into his neck.

"Okay," I whispered, and for a moment, I thought he might not have heard me. But then he pushed out the doorway and unfolded his wings only seconds before we would have hit the ground. My scream was swept away by the wind, but it had been one of joy and pure exhilaration. My arms were in a stranglehold around Iggy's neck, but he didn't seem bothered by it as his wings pumped up and down and pushed us higher. By the time we'd been in the air for thirty seconds, we were high enough to clear the tops of the pine trees that surrounded the barn.

I looked down for a minute and thought I saw Max watching us out the living room window. She was smiling. I would have smiled back, but I don't think that I could have been smiling any wider than I was then.

"You okay?" Iggy asked, sounding only a bit uncertain.

"Great!" I replied without hesitation. It was then that I realised how tight my arms were, and loosened my grip a little.

Once again, I pressed my face into his neck and simply held on tight. I felt Iggy press his lips to my hair and let out a soft, almost inaudible, sigh of content. "I love you," I heard him say. It was…what? The third time in two days. And, if we both had our ways, it wouldn't be the last.

I would never get used to it. This feeling of complete bliss. I had a feeling that if he said those three words to me a million times, I still wouldn't be used to it. I would feel that same clenching in my heart, have that ecstatic smile pull at my lips, and have the fluttering in my stomach fifty years from now – if he hadn't expired, I tried not to remind myself – as I did in this moment.

"_I love you too…_" I murmured, utterly peaceful.

Of course, this is the Flock. It never really stays all that peaceful for that long. Itex was gone. The world was saved. Fang was back.

But I knew this would be no different. And the peace wouldn't last.

Call it a hunch.

-x-

**Reviews are always nice, but we****'re not going to beg or anything. A part three is possible, as well as a longer follow-up story. But the speed with which either of these gets up depends how easy it is for us (Riley and Katy) to get together to actually write it. Damn parents…**


	3. NOTE  IMPORTANT

Okay, so this is Katy Cruel and Riley Hart, updating all of you awesome people who are following our story. It looks right now like we're not going to be doing a part three, but we are going to do a follow-up. We're going to try to get at least a chapter or two up before November, when we're probably going to be busy off our asses with NaNoWriMo. I hope you guys are doing it too! We'll post a bit, but we'll really only be posting regularly starting at the beginning of December.

Why won't we (or at least Katy) be able to post during NaNoWriMo? Because Katy is going to be writing seven pages a day at _least_, without Fanfiction. Sorry to make you guys wait, but real life kind of gets in the way.

~Katy Cruel & Riley Hart.


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